FAQs

Simply contact Member Services at 1-800-255-6815 Monday – Friday between 7:30 am and 5:30 pm with your account number and new address information. You may also send us an email at feedback@theenergycoop.com with your account information, your new and old address and a phone number in case we need to reach you.

Like oil and gasoline, natural gas, electricity and propane prices increase/decrease year to year. Presently, natural gas is down while ectricity is up over last year. For more information please click here.

The Member Select rate offered by IGS does not replace the natural Gas Distribution Charge, only the Gas Cost Recovery (GCR). But, the GCR can change monthly and is subject to the closing NYMEX price of natural gas, transportation and over or under recovery of expected gas cost.

This program can be closely related to an "insurance program" which provides price security throughout the year. In comparison, the GCR is a variable rate which can go up or down based on monthly events in energy markets.

Members must enroll through IGS Energy, who is the administrator of the program by calling
1-800-280-4474 or by logging on to IGS Energy's website at www.igsenergy.com. Please have your Energy Cooperative account information on hand when enrolling.

You may cancel your enrollment in the program at any time, without a cancellation fee. Cancellation notices provided after the deadline for changes with The Energy Cooperative will be effective with the next available billing cycle following the effective change, which may require you to remain on the program for several billing cycles after you have provided notice of cancellation.

You will continue to receive your bills from the Energy Cooperative containing all charges, including all applicable taxes and distribution charges. In one or two billing cycles after enrolling, you will begin to see the IGS Energy Logo in addition to The Energy Cooperative Logo on your bill. You will see the IGS Gas Cost and dollar amount as a line item on your bill.

Yes, the budget billing program works the same for the Member Select Program and the only thing that will change is the IGS Energy, natural gas provider logo which will appear on your bill. An adjustment may be made to your budget in March depending on your yearly usage.

Members with questions regarding the Member Select Program should call IGS Energy toll free at 1-800-280-4474, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (ET) or you may log on to IGS Energy's website at www.igsenergy.com

Beginning with your next billing cycle, unless the program is cancelled by The Energy Cooperative, the agreement will automatically renew on a year-to-year basis and your price will renew at a rate per ccf, that will be provided to you by IGS Energy, in advance of your renewal.

Small space heaters typically have a 1500 watt heating element. That translates into 1.5kwh for every hour it is used or 1080 kwh/month if left on 24/7 or if the heater cannot keep up heating the area and never shuts off.

At $0.11/kwh, that is $118.80 additional to your bill. It is easy to see how one of these small space heaters can make a big impact on a member’s bill.

The Round Up Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit program that can cut through a lot of the red tape many organizations require. The Foundation has awarded over $290,000 since November of 2005 to more than 60 organizations. Awards are published in our Quarterly Newsletter and posted on our website. The Foundation's first award went to the Salvation Army Coats for Kids, which were short 100 winter coats that winter and again this winter.

Just $0.50 per month per Member on average can make a big difference in someone's life. This is our Member's program; not the cooperative's and we have over 40,000 Members who believe it is a worthwhile program. I hope you will give this time and see the real benefits to our community.

To Opt Out of the program, you may submit an email, write us a letter or call Member Services at 800-255-6815. Please have your account number handy.

The Energy Cooperative is under direct control of its member/consumers who elect Directors to oversee cooperative operations and to serve on the Board of Directors. The Board sets the policies for the cooperative and gives the final approval for a rate adjustment.

Deposits are based on your present credit history so one may be required regardless of your previous history. If you have questions regarding the deposit, please contact Member Services at 800-255-6815.

The service line from our distribution main and your home is the homeowner’s responsibility for installation, maintenance and replacement and MUST BE INSTALLED BY A QUALIFIED PLUMBER. Please contact The Energy Cooperative’s New Services Department and they will be happy to assist and send you an information packet. New Services can be reached by calling 800-255-6815, ext. 1278

The Energy Cooperative will estimate the amount of your next 12 months of electric, natural gas and/or propane bills based on weather patterns, experience and your history of energy use. Starting with your September statement each year, we’ll divide this estimate into 12 equal payments and will bill you that amount each month. We’ll also review your account in March and possibly adjust your budget payments to remain in line with any unusual increases or decreases in usage and/or cost of the energy. With your August statement, The Energy Cooperative will settle any difference between your actual usage amounts and your budget payments.

If you have overpaid, we will apply a credit to your next bill. If you have underpaid, the difference will become due.

There a few ways to change your credit card information safely and securely. 1) Online by visiting our site and clicking on the download instructions on how to Change Your Automatic Pay Status or 2) by downloading the application form and faxing to 740-344-9550 or 3) By calling Member Services at 800-255-6815 during regular business hours.

CREDIT FOR AID TO CONSTRUCTION FEES

The consumer will receive a credit on his/her monthly electric bill in the amount of 10 percent of the total bill and this credit is not transferable to subsequent consumers. The credit will be given for 60 months from the date the service was connected or until the total credits equal the amount of Aid to Construction Fees paid by the consumer for the service at this location.

Simply call our Member Services Department at 1-800-255-6815 and they will be happy to assist you with the proper forms for your County. In addition to State of Ohio assistance, some local organization may also provide help.

This energy management program allows you to help reduce energy usage when demand is for energy is at its highest, generally on extremely hot and humid summer days. Brief, periodic cycling of the central air conditioning system can reduce the demand for electricity during this time. And that can help keep your energy costs down.

Simply Logon to our website at www.theenergycoop.com and click the Pay/View Your Bill at the top banner. Logon under your old email address and then on the left column click “Change My Email” It will have you enter your old email and your new email twice.

Please call Member Services at 800-255-6815, Monday –Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and they will be happy to assist you. Calling on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday afternoons should reduce any on-hold time.

Territory boundaries prohibit us from crossing into another electric companies' service area. We suggest you contact your provider and inquire about electric marketing companies on their system and any monthly fees you would be responsible for. Ask about incentives/rebate to help offset your investment.

The Energy Cooperative has initiated cost cutting measures that have virtually maintained your cooperative’s operating expenditures over the last eight years. Over $3.7 million has been cut from our operating expenditures. However, some costs could not be avoided such as infrastructure replacement, healthcare and Governmental mandated regulations.

In a continuing effort to help our members combat energy inefficiencies and save money, The Energy Cooperative has added Ray Crock, an experienced Energy Advisor, to your arsenal of tools. Through an on-site energy audit and by using an infrared camera, a blower door test and a lot of know-how, our new Energy Advisor may be able to pinpoint areas for improvement that might not be apparent to the typical homeowner. This service is being offered for the low cost of $99. A rebate of up to $50 will be returned to

members who demonstrate they have completed home improvements suggested by our Energy Advisor.

Prior to an on-site visit by our Energy Advisor, you will be asked to complete a bill analysis worksheet. For more information or to request an appointment, please contact our member Service Department at 1-800-255-6815. Please call soon for an appointment as we have had a high volume of requests for this service.

Log on to your account under Pay/View My Bill using your old email address. On the left is a link to “Change My E-mail”. You may also make changes to your Password. You may also contact Member Services at 800-255-6815.

The ice storm that hit our system in December 2004 was felt in all of our nineteen substation areas. Outages were caused when the storm brought down electrical lines - due to heavy ice loading - and by trees and branches falling into our lines. Overall, we have 264 miles of line that needs to be repaired and put back to the cooperative's standards. We also have over 200 miles of line that will need debris removed from our Right of Way (ROW).

Before the storm we had budgeted for one more ROW crew for 2005. This gave us five contract crews and one LRE crew to maintain ROW maintenance for over 2,800 miles of line - at a cost of just under $800,000. To help with clean up under FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration), we have brought in four additional crews at a cost of $980,000. We are doing everything we can to restore the system back to our standards as well as trimming LRE's Right of Way. Due to the amount of damage to our system, we anticipate it will take three years to put LRE back to our standards prior to the storm.

A cooperative is one of several ways people can do business in this country. The difference between a cooperative and a sole-proprietorship, partnership or corporation is that cooperatives do not offer the financial incentive of a return on investment. In other words cooperatives are not formed to make a profit, they are formed to serve a need. Since a cooperative operates to satisfy the needs of its members and not to generate a profit, cooperatives operate at the lowest cost possible.

The cooperative movement got started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt who created the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) in 1935. This provided funds for those who were willing to organize and extend electricity lines into rural areas. In 1936 the Rural Electrification Act authorized loans to farmers themselves to form electric cooperatives. Today millions of people have electric service as a result.

Cooperatives are owned by their members and run by their members. Members vote on a democratic basis on important issues that confront the cooperative. The members also democratically elect a board of directors which is responsible for the on-going decision making.

There are between 40,000 - 50,000 cooperatives in the USA, serving a variety of needs for a variety of people.

Prior to 1998 The Energy Cooperative provided only electric service. At that time they were known as Licking Rural Electrification, Inc. When National Gas and Oil Company was purchased in 1998 we became one of a handful of cooperatives to offer natural gas and propane service. We truly are an energy cooperative, not just an electric cooperative.

The Energy Cooperative is part of a national alliance of local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives providing high standards of service to customers large and small called Touchstone Energy. More than 600 Touchstone Energy cooperatives in 44 states are delivering energy and energy solutions to more than 17 million customers every day. Touchstone Energy cooperatives serve their members with integrity, accountability, innovation and a longstanding commitment to communities.

The Gas Cost Recovery (GCR) is a billing rate that reflects the actual costs associated with the purchase and transportation of natural gas for our natural gas Members. The GCR rate is billed per 100 cubic feet (ccf). The GCR rate is determined by natural gas prices and other related costs. Adjustments of the GCR rate represent changing costs and can move up or down in any particular month depending on market conditions. It is important to note that higher GCR adjustments are not rate increases. The Cooperative earns its margin through the distribution of gas, not through its purchase and resale

How is the GCR determined?
The GCR is typically adjusted by the Cooperative monthly and depends on three components:

1. Gas Cost - The price the Cooperative expects to pay for natural gas. When the GCR is adjusted on a monthly basis, the Cooperative will calculate to the best of its ability, the expected costs of natural gas for the following month. Gas costs include the cost of purchasing the gas. Like most gas providers, The Energy Cooperative purchases the majority of its gas from Texas and Louisiana.

2. Transmission Cost - The cost of gas transmission from the producing regions (in Texas and Louisiana) to the Cooperative's service territory (in central Ohio) through the interstate pipeline system. The Cooperative transports most of its gas supply through the pipeline systems of Texas Eastern Transmission, Tennessee Gas Pipeline, and Dominion Transmission. The Cooperative pays regulated rates for its right to utilize these transmission pipeline facilities.

3. Unrecovered Gas Cost - The difference between the gas cost that was recovered from the Members and what the Cooperative actually paid for the natural gas. This can also be used as an adjustment for the difference between estimated and actual consumption due to unpredictable weather changes.

Natural gas in its original state is odorless, we add an organic compound called mercaptan before the gas is delivered to your community. The compound has a distinctive smell like rotten eggs to alert you to the presence of natural gas escaping in or around your home.

The source of a gas odor could be inside your home from a leak in your house line or appliance connection. It could also be outside from leaks in a service or main line that could come into your home through foundation walls or drain lines.

For Your safety, it's important to know what to do if you smell this distinctive odor and to practice emergency plans. If you smell an odor of gas.

1. Leave the building immediately. Don't light matches, touch electrical switches or use the phone.
2. Call The Energy Cooperative (1-800-255-6815) from a nearby phone. Our employees are on call 24 hours a day to respond to emergencies.
3. Plan to meet our service person or provide access to your home to inspect your equipment and check for the source of the odor.

Natural gas meters are read on a monthly basis. Unfortunately, inclement weather and holidays can delay meter readings and we may have to estimate bills. Estimated bills will be read the following month to correct any error in the estimated bill. Unless your home is equippped with a remote meter reading device, it will be read manually. If you have an inside meter and access is not available, then you may submit an estimated reading. Access must be provided on an annual basis for us to read your meter.

Before contacting our office, please visit our expanded Home Energy Calculator. You can enter the specifics of your home and will receive an estimated monthly energy usage and expenses report. You may also make changes to your home and appliances - to see the if the savings benefits are worthy of the expense. Be sure to check out the Appliance Calculator linked on the page.

When the power goes out, a portable generator can make life a lot easier. But if used improperly, that generator can make life a lot more dangerous! Keep these tips in mind when using a portable generator:

Plug individual appliances into the generator using only grounded heavy-duty, outdoor-rated cords with a wire gauge adequate for the appliance load. A minimum 14 gauge is recommended and preferably 12 or 10 gauge. Lengths greater than 25 feet require a heavier wire gauge.

Never use a generator indoors or in attached garages. Operate the generator only outdoors in a well-ventilated dry area, away from air intakes to the home, and protected from direct exposure to rain and snow, preferably under a canopy, open shed or carport.

Never store gasoline in the home. Gasoline, kerosene and other flammable liquids should be stored outside of living areas in properly labeled, non-glass safety containers. They also should not be stored in an area near a fuel-burning appliance: the vapor from gasoline can travel invisibly along the ground and be ignited by pilot lights or arcs from electric switches.

If you intend to connect the generator directly to the house wiring, you MUST have a double-throw switch or other approved system to disconnect your house from The Energy Cooperative's main power lines. This will protect your Cooperative's workers from being shocked by power from your generator while doing repairs to the line, and protect your generator from being damaged or destroyed when the main line power is restored.

Standby generators require special attention to safety
A flicker at first, perhaps another, then... darkness. It's a power outage. How long will it last? That's difficult to tell. The Energy Cooperative strives to get each and every outage repaired as quickly as possible, but sometimes, especially during heavy storms, repairs can take longer than we'd like.

As we head further into winter some members, especially those with all-electric homes or electric heating systems, may be pondering the purchase of a backup generator to keep their home's critical systems up and running during a power outage. If that is the case, here are a few bits of information to consider before you head off to the hardware store:

It is an absolute necessity that your generator, if it is connected directly to your home's wiring through the circuit breaker box, be equipped with a "double-throw" transfer switch. This is not just a good idea, or a suggestion -- it is the law. In order to protect linemen from possible injury or death from "back-feeding" power going out onto the electric system, your generator must be isolated with a double-throw switch. Contact a licensed electrician to install the switch.

If you use only a portable generator, in order to keep a bare minimum of items plugged directly into it, follow the manufacturer's recommendations for grounding the generator. From our experiences with consumers, we know that this advice is rarely followed, but it is extremely important! Static electricity, for example, can build up on the generator itself, and provide a nasty shock to a person who touches an under-grounded generator. Builders, re-modelers and do-it-yourselfers should heed this advice as well, when using portable generators under normal circumstances.

Your generator's capacity should be approximately 20 percent larger than the actual "running" load size you need. In other words, once you determine how many watts of power you need to provide backup power to your home, add 20 percent. This is to account for the extra power some electric motors, etc. require when starting up. If you don't size the generator properly, you could damage your home's electric system and any appliances with electric motors that have attempted to start.

Once you determine what you consider to be the essential items needed during an outage, consider having circuits for those items wired to a "sub-breaker" box so those items can be connected directly to the generator's output. However, keep in mind that you may overload the generator if you have a number of electric motors all trying to start at once. It may be best to keep all the breakers in the sub-breaker box off except for lighting, and heat. Breakers for refrigeration, water heater and other appliances can be turned on one at a time or on an as-needed basis once the generator is up and running.

Do not rely on a backup generator to protect your home from long outages if you are away for an extended period of time -- say, for example, if you are a "snowbird". If you leave your home during winter for longer than a normal vacation period of one to two weeks, you should seriously consider winterizing your home to ensure that it can withstand an extended outage. This means winterizing the plumbing system to avoid freezing damage and emptying refrigerators and freezers (or at least consolidating everything in one refrigerator/freezer).

Although we strive to keep your power on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no electric utility can guarantee that will be the case. Most often, outages are repaired within a matter of a few hours. If, however, you choose to use a backup or standby generator to see you through these time, we ask you to please review these tips and any manufacturer's recommendations to ensure your safety, the safety of utility workers and to avoid unnecessary property loss or damage.

The Energy Cooperative's Code of Regulations states that the Board of Directors shall pay Patronage Capital (also known as capital credits) to its members, if in their opinion, paying out the capital does not harm the financial condiditon of the cooperative. Currently, the cooperative has negative equity of 21% ($51 million). Also, the mortgage documents signed by the cooperative state that the cooperative should not pay out capital if the equity amount is lower than 20%. Therefore, the Board of Directors has decided that retiring Patronage Capital would impair the financial condition of the cooperative since it would put the cooperative in default of its mortgage agreement. However, the cooperative does pay out Patronage Capital to Estates monthly.

The Board of Directors determines energy prices for our Members based on purchased energy cost, transportation to our system and other various expenses. Rates are published on our website. Simply click on an energy type, then Billing and then Rates.

At this time, The Energy Cooperative does not offer a Service Line Warranty program for our natural gas, propane or electric members. However, we have been in contact with two companies that offer this service. No decision has been made to add this service at this time. In the event a Service Line Warranty program is added in the future, information will be mailed directly to our Members.

Please navigate to "pay your bill" on our website. You will find a pdf form for automatic payment you can download, print off, fill in and either fax or mail into our office to start automatic monthly payments. Since your signature is required, this was the only way we could make it available through our website.

Operation Round Up is a community service program of our members. Members "round up" their monthly bill to the next dollar and that money is pooled together in a fund for charitable contributions to organizations in our service territory. The average donation per member is $6 annually and is tax deductible. Ooperation Round Up has their own foundation that oversees the disbursement of funds. No donations are used for operating expenses.

There are three ways you can obtain your annual usage:
1) Log on to Pay/View Your Bill and select the graph area.
2) Wait for your next bill and it will be on the top right side of your bill ing statement.
3) Contact a Member Services Representative at 800/255-6815.

Geothermal is now offered by The Energy Cooperative and is available to Licking Rural Electric (LRE) members who install a qualifying geothermal system. A geothermal system is a very efficient way to reduce energy consumption while still heating and cooling your home. Qualified installations are eligible for a $599 rebate from The Energy Cooperative. Contact The Energy Cooperative prior to the installation of your geothermal system at 800/255-6815 X1235. We will send you an appliance rebate form and the member agreement form that both need to be completed and returned. After the geothermal system is installed and the two forms are completed and returned, LRE will make a required geothermal system inspection. After an approved inspection, your rebate application will be processed and a $599 rebate check will be mailed directly to the recipient listed on the Member Agreement Form.

The National Energy Foundation recommends keeping the heat at 66-68 degrees during the day and 60-62 degrees at night. If you have elderly residents, or other people with special needs these temperatures may not be appropriate.

The payment will post to The Energy Cooperative's account within 10 minutes. The payment will post to their checking account or charge card anywhere from 5 minutes to 3 days depending on the form of payment the member uses.

The Wholesale Power Cost adjustment is an amount shown on the member’s bill each month that indicates increases and decreases in the cost of purchased power from Buckeye Power Cooperative. The Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment only recovers the power costs that are incurred by The Energy Cooperative for the power it buys. The power we purchase is generated by Buckeye Power Cooperative, which is owned by the 25 electric cooperatives in the State of Ohio and operated by American Electric Power.

The majority of the power The Energy Cooperative purchases is generated by coal. Coal prices have been increasing dramatically since 2003. Much of this increase is due to transportation costs associated with rising gasoline prices and railroad transportation. Environmental enhancements totaling $767 million in this decade alone have also increased the cost of electricity being generated by Buckeye Power Cooperative.

A portion of the generation is fired by natural gas and those costs have also increased tremendously. There have also been increases in the cost on moving the power from the power plant to the Cooperative’s substations (transmission wheeling.)

The new rates, effective May 1, 2007, include more of the cost of purchased power in the base rate; this will reduce the amount of the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment. The base power cost has been increased by .9 cents and the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment has been reduced by the same amount. This change will not increase overall cost member pays for power.

The Energy Cooperative has partnered with IGS Energy, a natural gas supplier based in Central Ohio, and developed a pilot program called the Member Select Program in response to member requests for an alternative to the GCR (Gas Cost Recovery). The Member Select Program offers a lock-in rate which may provide the member more control over their bills and could potentially save the member money. This program allows the opportunity to select a different pricing option when purchasing natural gas.

The ice storm that hit our system in December 2004 was felt in all of our nineteen substation areas. Outages were caused when the storm brought down electrical lines - due to heavy ice loading - and by trees and branches falling into our lines. Overall, we have 264 miles of line that needs to be repaired and put back to the cooperative's standards. We also have over 200 miles of line that will need debris removed from our Right of Way (ROW).

Before the storm we had budgeted for one more ROW crew for 2005. This gave us five contract crews and one LRE crew to maintain ROW maintenance for over 2,800 miles of line - at a cost of just under $800,000. To help with clean up under FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration), we have brought in four additional crews at a cost of $980,000. We are doing everything we can to restore the system back to our standards as well as trimming LRE's Right of Way. Due to the amount of damage to our system, we anticipate it will take three years to put LRE back to our standards prior to the storm.

The Gas Cost Recovery (GCR) is a billing rate that reflects the actual costs associated with the purchase and transportation of natural gas for our natural gas Members. The GCR rate is billed per 100 cubic feet (ccf). The GCR rate is determined by natural gas prices and other related costs. Adjustments of the GCR rate represent changing costs and can move up or down in any particular month depending on market conditions. It is important to note that higher GCR adjustments are not rate increases. The Cooperative earns its margin through the distribution of gas, not through its purchase and resale

How is the GCR determined?
The GCR is typically adjusted by the Cooperative monthly and depends on three components:

1. Gas Cost - The price the Cooperative expects to pay for natural gas. When the GCR is adjusted on a monthly basis, the Cooperative will calculate to the best of its ability, the expected costs of natural gas for the following month. Gas costs include the cost of purchasing the gas. Like most gas providers, The Energy Cooperative purchases the majority of its gas from Texas and Louisiana.

2. Transmission Cost - The cost of gas transmission from the producing regions (in Texas and Louisiana) to the Cooperative's service territory (in central Ohio) through the interstate pipeline system. The Cooperative transports most of its gas supply through the pipeline systems of Texas Eastern Transmission, Tennessee Gas Pipeline, and Dominion Transmission. The Cooperative pays regulated rates for its right to utilize these transmission pipeline facilities.

3. Unrecovered Gas Cost - The difference between the gas cost that was recovered from the Members and what the Cooperative actually paid for the natural gas. This can also be used as an adjustment for the difference between estimated and actual consumption due to unpredictable weather changes.

For a generalized map of our Service Territories navigate to About Us, then We Are The Energy Cooperative, then Board of Directors. For a more specific answer, please call a Member Services Representative at 800/255-6815 with the street address in question.

At this time, The Energy Cooperative does not offer a Service Line Warranty program for our natural gas, propane or electric members. However, we have been in contact with two companies that offer this service. No decision has been made to add this service at this time. In the event a Service Line Warranty program is added in the future, information will be mailed directly to our Members.

Each January, information is mailed to guidance counselors at the high schools in the service territory. The Scholarships are awarded at the Annual Meeting. Please check with your guidance counselor for all the details. In the event your guidance counselor needs additional information, they may contact Margy at 800-255-6815 ext. 1199.

Geothermal is now offered by The Energy Cooperative and is available to Licking Rural Electric (LRE) members who install a qualifying geothermal system. A geothermal system is a very efficient way to reduce energy consumption while still heating and cooling your home. Qualified installations are eligible for a $599 rebate from The Energy Cooperative. Contact The Energy Cooperative prior to the installation of your geothermal system at 800/255-6815 X1235. We will send you an appliance rebate form and the member agreement form that both need to be completed and returned. After the geothermal system is installed and the two forms are completed and returned, LRE will make a required geothermal system inspection. After an approved inspection, your rebate application will be processed and a $599 rebate check will be mailed directly to the recipient listed on the Member Agreement Form.

Although we do not have off peak rates, using major appliance or reducing your electric usage between the hours of 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm will reduce your rates as well as all of our electric member’s rates by reducing demand charges. See Peak Alert.

The replacement rider is necessary to meet safety standards set by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). The rider will provide funding to upgrade the bare steel pipeline infrastructure throughout the service territory. The rider will help to improve safety related conditions, reliability of service and energy efficiency. Replacing an aging pipeline infrastructure that is prone to leakage will save our members money in the long run by reducing system gas loss.

Members of the cooperative who are enrolled in the Member Select Program will also undergo a rate adjustment. The Member Select program provides a locked in price per ccf for the Gas Cost portion of the bill. However, the rate adjustment of $2.50 per month along with the Infrastructure Replacement rider of $.04 per ccf affects the Natural Gas Delivery rate which is applied to all members.

Not at this time. Member Select is a pilot program offered by The Energy Cooperative to enable members the ability to fix their natural gas price for a certain time period.

IGS Energy was chosen because they serve over 700,000 customers in Ohio and across the Midwest. We have worked together to develop this pilot program, which provides you a new way to purchase your natural gas. This new program is designed to provide you secure pricing for your natural gas while maintaining our high level of service and reliability.

The Wholesale Power Cost reflects the increases/decreases in The Energy Cooperative’s cost of electric power purchased from our generation and transmission provider, Buckeye PowerInc. in Columbus, Ohio and this cost may be adjusted monthly. The fluctuation in the Wholesale Power cost is largely caused by changes in fuel and demand charges for the generation of electricity.

For our electric members, the cooperative’s largest monthly expense goes toward purchasing Wholesale Power. The purchase of Wholesale Power is considered a commodity cost and makes up over 50 percent of our current rate structure. The Wholesale Power cost is a pass through cost to The Energy Cooperative’s members and is shown on our electric member’s bills each month.

A portion of the cooperative’s cost of power is already included in the Energy Rate (commonly referred to as the Base Rate). When the cost of Wholesale Power is greater than the amount included in the Base Rate, the Wholesale Power Cost is adjusted and charged. When the cost is less, the cost becomes a credit to our members. Keeping the Wholesale Power Costs down is important to all members and great reason to get involved in our load management program.